Texas Porch
Panhandle / High Plains

Quitaque, Texas

Quitaque is a small city in Briscoe County, set where the flat High Plains of the Texas Panhandle break into red-rock canyons about 72 miles northeast of Lubbock. It sits at the gateway to Caprock Canyons State Park, home to the official Texas State Bison Herd, whose animals descend from the last of the southern plains bison. The rugged caprock escarpment and canyon country make the area a draw for hikers, campers, and stargazers.

Property here runs through the Briscoe Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Briscoe County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.

Briscoe County notes

What to know around Quitaque

Property tax

How the Briscoe County Appraisal District Works

Your land gets a value from one office and a bill from another, both at 415 Main in Silverton, and if the house is where you actually live, a homestead exemption knocks the taxable value down.

Agricultural appraisal

Ag Valuation: How Farmland Gets Taxed in Briscoe County

A Briscoe County tract can carry two values on the tax roll: what it might sell for, and what qualifying agricultural land can actually produce.

Water / Groundwater

The Ogallala Aquifer: Briscoe County's Underground Water Supply

Briscoe County sits on the Ogallala Aquifer. Eastern Briscoe has Mesquite Groundwater Conservation District rules, while part of western Briscoe has been flagged by TCEQ as a priority area without a groundwater district.

State park / Wildlife

Caprock Canyons State Park: Canyons, Bison, and Dark Skies

Caprock Canyons State Park in Quitaque sits along the eastern edge of the High Plains and is home to the official Texas State Bison Herd, nearly 90 miles of trails, a designated Dark Sky area, and a bat colony in a historic railroad tunnel.

Wildfire / Fire safety

Wildfire Risk and Burn Bans in Briscoe County

Dry Panhandle wind and cured grass can make fire move fast in Briscoe County. Burn bans are current-condition rules, so check the county or Texas A&M Forest Service before outdoor burning.

History

Tule Canyon and the End of the Comanche Era

Tule Canyon in Briscoe County was the site of a key 1874 military campaign. That campaign ended Comanche and Kiowa control of the Southern Plains and opened the door to the ranching and farming era that shaped the county.

Nearby

Places near Quitaque

Nearby counties

Local notes for nearby counties

Next steps for Quitaque